High School

Students from Kaua‘i High School in Lihue present a personal essay called “The Bigger Picture.” It bemoans how smartphones and other personal electronic devises get in the way of our enjoyment of the natural world around us. The widespread use of smartphone cameras has led people to experience life within the confines of a small screen rather than directly, with their own eyes. “Our phones distract us from the real beauty right in front of us,” says the narrator, “which makes each minute less memorable.”

ALSO FEATURED:

–Students from McKinley High School in Honolulu show how a massive art project created a common bond among the employees of a Waikiki hotel.

–Young journalists at Wheeler Middle School in Central O‘ahu show how actions taken by students led to the administration extending the time between periods to ensure students have enough time to walk from class to class.

–Students from Hana School in East Maui show us how to make a fish ornament out of coconut fronds.

–Students from Kamehameha Schools Maui Middle show how a man’s participation in a community band enriches his life, even though it has been more than twenty years since he played in his high school orchestra.

–Students from Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on Kaua‘i uncover the massive clean-up effort along their island’s Kalalau hiking trail.

–Students from H.P. Baldwin High School in Wailuku, Maui, tell the story of a young woman who was inspired to reveal the real person behind her make-up.

This film tells the story of 130 young men from Hawaii who, from the late 1930s through the early years of World War II, were part of a clandestine mission by the U.S. federal government to occupy desert islands in the middle of the Pacific. The first wave of these colonists was a group of Hawaiian high school students, chosen because government officials assumed Pacific Islanders could best survive the harsh conditions present on the tiny, isolated islands. For the young men, who were unaware of the true purpose of their role as colonists, what ensued is a tale of intrigue, courage, and ultimately, tragedy.

This episode features stories from the 2017 HIKI NŌ Fall Challenge. In September of 2017, five high schools and nine middle schools participated in a challenge in which teams had exactly four days to conceptualize, shoot, write, and edit a HIKI NŌ story based on a specific theme. No work could be done on the stories prior to the production window because the theme was not revealed until the start of the four-day sprint. The theme of this challenge was “What it’s Like to Walk in Another Person’s Shoes.” No teachers, or adults of any kind, could provide hands-on assistance. It was all up to the students.

TOP STORIES
Included in this episode are the winners of the Middle School and High School Divisions of the 2017 HIKI NŌ Fall Challenge. The Middle School winners were from ‘Ewa Makai Middle School in the ‘Ewa district of O‘ahu. Their story “Lolita” features a drag queen in his early 20s who explains how taking on his drag persona of Lolita gives him confidence and helps him cope with a sometimes difficult life. The winning High School story, “Hurricane Harvey Relief,” was created by students at Kalaheo High School in Windward O‘ahu. It follows a group of volunteers who put themselves in the shoes of Houston’s Hurricane Harvey victims and helped to collect goods toward the relief effort.

ALSO FEATURED
–Students from Maui High School created a story about what it’s like to walk in the shoes of a teen transitioning to a new gender.

–Students from Kapa‘a High School on Kaua‘i featured the school band president who is successful at what he does because he tries to walk in the shoes of his fellow musicians.

–Students from Wai‘anae High School in West O‘ahu stress the importance of empathy in dealing with people who suffer from a very painful condition known as Fibromyalgia.

–Students from Kamehameha Schools Maui Middle show us that walking in the shoes of someone who moved to Hawaiʻi for a better life helps us to better appreciate our island home.

–Students from Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on Kaua‘i help us to consider what it’s like being a teenager who is prone to suicide.

–Students from Maui Waena Intermediate School in Kahului tell the story of a cobbler who creates custom shoes for people who can’t wear conventional footwear.

This program encores Saturday, Nov. 25, at 12:00 pm and Sunday, Nov. 26, at 3:00 pm. You can also view HIKI NŌ episodes on our website, www.pbshawaii.org/hikino.

Accompany two African American teens from the South Side of Chicago on their journey to achieve their dream of graduating from college. Follow the young men through five years of hard work, sacrifice, setbacks and uncertainty.

Located in an impoverished Mojave Desert community, Black Rock Continuation High School is an alternative school for students at risk of dropping out; Black Rock is their last chance. Extraordinary educators believe that empathy and life skills, more than academics, give these underserved students command of their own futures.

This inspiring series celebrates the human-animal bond by telling uplifting stories about shelter pets and the people that help them. This episode, hosted by anthropologist Jane Goodall, features shelter dogs that are trained to protect endangered species. We follow the dogs from the day they are rescued to their deployment in Zambia where they are helping prevent the poaching of elephants and rhinos. Also: a high school cross country team takes shelter dogs for a run as part of their practice.

The 2017 HIKI NŌ Awards

PBS Hawai‘i recognizes exceptional storytelling skills of middle and high school students throughout our Islands who participate in HIKI NŌ, our statewide digital learning initiative and student news program.

The nominees were chosen from HIKI NŌ shows that aired during the 2015-2016 school year and the Fall Semester of this current school year. You can view each nominated piece by clicking on its name in the list below. (You can also watch the nominated projects, by category, Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at noon, and Sundays at 3:00 pm on PBS Hawai’i.)

This year’s Gold, Silver and Bronze winners are indicated below. Winning stories, as well as highlights from this year’s awards celebrations, will be featured on our two-part 2017 HIKI NŌ Awards Show, Thursday, March 23 and Thursday, March 30 at 7:30 pm on PBS Hawai‘i. Congratulations to all nominees and winners – and mahalo to all the students, teachers and mentors who help make HIKI NŌ a success in our public, private and charter schools throughout Hawai‘i.

Asian Americans are the best-educated and highest-income ethnic group in the United States. They are often referred to as the “model minority,” suggesting that all Asians are successful in school and in life. But Southeast Asian Americans have some of the lowest high school completion rates in the nation. Visit Long Beach, California – the city with America’s largest Cambodian community – to find out why this educational crisis is occurring and what people are doing about it.

Hosted by PBS Hawaii President and CEO Leslie Wilcox and Bank of Hawaii Foundation President Donna Tanoue, this special highlights the schools nominated in the High School Division of the HIKI NŌ AWARDS 2014 and will present the winning High School stories in their entirety. The award categories include: Best News Writing, Best Personal Profile, Best Home-Base School, and Best Overall News Stories.